The present invention relates to video game machines for displaying, in real time on a monitor, images changed when a virtual game character is manipulated to move by a player, image display methods for a video game, and recording media containing a screen display program.
Many game systems have been proposed, such as a system comprised of a home-use game console and a television monitor, a commercial-use game machine, and a system comprised of a personal computer or work station, a display, and a sound output device.
The game systems each include a player-operated controller, a recording medium containing a game program, a central processing unit (CPU) for performing control for the generation of sound and images based on the game program, a processor for generating images, a processor for generating sound, a monitor for displaying images, and a speaker for outputting the generated sound. The types of recording medium include a compact-disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a semiconductor memory, and a cassette having a built-in semiconductor memory.
In a type of video game played using the game systems, a game space is a virtual world in which there are streets, forest, etc., and a game character is moved in the game space by operating a controller.
In this type of video game, by using a virtual camera (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cviewpointxe2x80x9d) disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the game character, an image including the character is displayed on a monitor. In addition, a game in which a viewpoint can be shifted to a plurality of predetermined positions with respect to the character by a player operating a viewpoint-shift button provided on a controller is known.
The conventional video games of the above-described types have the function of simply shifting the viewpoint with respect to the game character to the predetermined positions in accordance with the operation of the viewpoint-shift button. Accordingly, the condition of the game character moving in the game space cannot always be observed from a preferable viewpoint, which prevents the player from experiencing sufficient virtual reality. The player also is inconvenienced by complicated operations since the player must operate the viewpoint-shift button while manipulating the game character in order to view the condition of the game character from the preferable viewpoint.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a video game machine for causing a player to experience enhanced virtual reality obtained by automatically shifting a viewpoint in a game screen on a display in accordance with the condition of a game character, a screen display method for a video game, and a recording medium containing a screen display program.
To this end, according to an aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object has been achieved through provision of a video game machine comprising: operation means for outputting an operation signal when the operation means is externally operated, the operation signal corresponding to the type of operation; motion-control means for moving a game character in a game space in accordance with the operation signal; rendering means for displaying, on a displaying means, an image including the game character, while using a predetermined position set with respect to the game character as a viewpoint; condition storage means for storing a predetermined viewpoint condition, and a selected position provided in accordance with the predetermined viewpoint condition; condition determination means for determining whether the predetermined viewpoint condition is satisfied; and viewpoint-position control means for moving the viewpoint to each selected position when the predetermined viewpoint condition is satisfied.
Preferably, the predetermined viewpoint condition is provided for an action by the game character.
The game character may be a moving object, and the predetermined viewpoint condition may be that the moving object has spun.
The game character may be a moving object, and the predetermined viewpoint condition may be that the moving object has crashed.
The viewpoint condition may be provided based on the positional relationship between a predetermined obstacle provided in the game space and the game character, and the condition determination means may determine that the viewpoint condition is satisfied when the game character is positioned within a predetermined range including the obstacle.
The video game machine may further include a table storage means for storing a table provided for coordinates in the game space, and an area corresponding to the predetermined range in the table, and the condition determination means may perform determination based on the correspondence between the coordinates of the game character in the game space and the area.
The video game machine may further include range storage means for storing coordinates in the predetermined range in the game space, and the condition determination means may perform determination when the coordinates of the game character in the game space are included in the predetermined range.
The viewpoint condition may be provided based on the positional relationship between a predetermined obstacle provided in the game space and the game character, and the condition determination means may determine that the viewpoint condition is satisfied when the obstacle is positioned between the game character and the present position of the viewpoint.
The viewpoint may be provided behind the game character which is moving.
When the viewpoint condition is satisfied and the position of the viewpoint differs from the selected position, the viewpoint-position control means may move the viewpoint to the selected position at a predetermined speed.
The condition storage means may store a plurality of viewpoint conditions and a plurality of selected positions corresponding to the plurality of viewpoint conditions, and the viewpoint-position control means may move the viewpoint to the selected position corresponding to one of the viewpoint conditions which is determined by the viewpoint condition means to be satisfied.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object has been achieved through provision of a screen display method for a video game in which a game screen including a game character moved in a game space in accordance with an external operation is displayed on a display means, with a predetermined position to the game character used as a viewpoint, wherein when a predetermined viewpoint condition is satisfied, the viewpoint is moved to a selected position corresponding to the viewpoint condition.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object has been achieved through provision of a recording medium containing a screen display program for a video game in which a game screen including a game character moved in a game space in accordance with an external operation is displayed on a display means, with a predetermined position to the game character used as a viewpoint, the screen display program comprising: a condition determination step for determining whether a predetermined viewpoint condition is satisfied; and a viewpoint moving step for moving the viewpoint to a selected position corresponding to the viewpoint condition when the viewpoint condition is satisfied.
According to the present invention, it is determined whether a predetermined viewpoint condition is satisfied, and when the viewpoint condition is satisfied, a viewpoint is moved to a selected position corresponding to the viewpoint condition, whereby the condition of the character which is moving can be displayed, with the viewpoint always positioned at a preferable position.
According to the present invention, a viewpoint condition may be provided for an action by a game character. This can move a viewpoint close or away in accordance with the action by the character.
According to the present invention, a game character may be a moving object, and a viewpoint condition may be that the moving object has spun. Therefore, by, for example, moving a viewpoint away, the surroundings of a spinning automobile can be clarified.
According to the present invention, a game character may be a moving object, and a predetermined viewpoint condition may be that the moving object has crashed. Therefore, by, for example, moving the viewpoint close to the character, an appealing image in which an automobile crashes can be displayed.
According to the present invention, a viewpoint condition may be provided based on the positional relationship between a predetermined obstacle provided in a game space and a game character, and it may be determined that the viewpoint condition is satisfied when the character is positioned within a predetermined range including an obstacle. Therefore, when the character is positioned within a predetermined range in the game space, the viewpoint is moved to a selected position, whereby it is prevented that the character cannot be clearly seen.
According to the present invention, a table provided for coordinates in a game space, and an area corresponding to the predetermined range in the table, are stored, and obstacle determination is performed based on the correspondence between the coordinates of a game character in the game space and the area. Therefore, the determination is performed based on whether the coordinates of the character in the game space correspond to the area, whereby it is securely, easily determined whether the character is positioned in the predetermined range.
According to the present invention, coordinates in a predetermined range in a game space are stored, and obstacle determination is determined based on whether the coordinates of a game character in the game space are included in the predetermined range. Therefore, the determination is performed based on whether the coordinates of the character in the game space are included in the predetermined range, whereby it is securely, easily determined whether the character is positioned in the predetermined range.
According to the present invention, a viewpoint condition may be provided based on the positional relationship between a predetermined obstacle provided in a game space and a game character, and it may be determined that the viewpoint condition is satisfied when the obstacle is positioned between the character and the present position of the viewpoint. Therefore, the viewpoint is moved to a selected position when an obstacle is positioned between the character and the present position of the viewpoint, whereby it is prevented that the character cannot be clearly seen.
According to the present invention, at least one of the moving direction and moving speed of a game character is detected, and before an obstacle is positioned between the character and the present viewpoint position, at least one of the moving direction and moving speed of the character may be taken into consideration so that a viewpoint starts to move.
According to the present invention, a viewpoint may be provided behind a game character which is moving. Therefore, the moving direction, etc., of the character can be clearly displayed.
According to the present invention, when a viewpoint condition is satisfied and the position of a viewpoint differs from a selected position, the viewpoint may be moved to the selected position at a predetermined speed. Therefore, the viewpoint is moved at the predetermined speed to the selected predetermined position in accordance with the viewpoint condition, whereby an image in which the view range changes in accordance with the motion of the viewpoint is displayed.
According to the present invention, a plurality of viewpoint conditions and a plurality of selected positions corresponding to the plurality of viewpoint conditions, are stored, and a viewpoint may be moved to the selected position corresponding to one of the viewpoint conditions which is determined to be satisfied. Therefore, the viewpoint is moved at a predetermined speed to each selected position corresponding to each viewpoint condition, whereby an image is displayed, with the viewpoint positioned at a preferable position in accordance with each condition of the character.